At the last Bloomington city council meeting in a 6-3 vote the tax levy was voted to increase due to a library expansion of $22 million.
“The number is interesting, because in the discussions around the number there were conversations of, $22 million isn’t that big the original proposal was $37 million,” said Nick Becker, Ward 5. “I really struggle with that kind of justification. The first number was huge and ugly, therefore we validate it by giving you another ugly number that’s not quite as bad. I think the 22 million was way too high. It’s not just about the number, it’s about the timing of the number, and where we’re at overall.”
Becker said a lot of people have talked about this levy and have said that only $30 a year will be added onto property taxes of $165,000and that that “small” of a number shouldn’t concern the taxpayer too much.
“Have you ever heard the phrase ‘death by a thousand paper cuts?’” asked Becker at the council meeting. “You are hurting them every time you do it.”
Becker said a lot of people accuse the opposition of the tax levy as being ‘against the library.’
“I’m not against the library. My kids use the library. I use the library. I’m against some of the things that have gone on recently there, but that’s a different topic,” said Becker. “The reality is, the library functions well and provides a lot of the needs that people use to advocate for this tax. It already provides those. It’s not like we have nothing today and we’re saying we have to have the library to improve literacy and give people access to things. We already have that. We just have a Chevrolet right now, we don’t have a Cadillac. With the economy where it’s at, with the opinion of almost all the constituents I’ve talked to. Ten to one is the ratio of what I’ve talked to. They don’t want it. They do not want to spend this money. Therefore I have no choice, but to say: one, it’s not fiscally prudent, two, the constituents don’t want it.”
Becker said the library expansion was going to happen long before he came onto the council, this past year.
In regards to the books at the public library and the concern they have raised amongst parent this past year, Becker said he is not aware first hand of a lot of the details, of what books were there.
“I did read about it as well and I do disagree with it. I don’t want to see that content in the library,” said Becker. “We have similar issues with things in the school right now. I don’t want to see it there either. That’s a choice in how they run the library, not should we have a library and should we expand the library.”
In regards to Bloomington spending the cost of the library and the O’Neill pool together, that’s as much money as we spent on the Colosseum.
Becker suggested to let all of the citizens vote on this instead of just a smaller amount.
“I do think that maybe we didn’t get a real representation opinion from the city, because the people I’ve talked to were very very much against this,” said Becker.
The city plans to keep a flat tax rate of 1.4%.
“When they are saying the rate is the same, they’re saying you get taxed on the EAV, the equalized assessed value,” said Becker.
When you keep that rate the same, the city gets more money when the value of properties rise and when the city grows and more properties get added in, that’s how you get more revenue, according to Becker.
“The city of Bloomington is a very small percentage of your tax bill. A lot of your tax bill is your school districts. That’s the lions share, that’s a big one,” said Becker. “We’re trying to keep Bloomington’s as low as possible and trying to not vote on increasing it.”
Becker added the council is so much better than it was a year ago, because there’s less divisiveness and people are willing to work together even if we disagree.
